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Pennsylvania House Passes ‘Castle Doctrine’ Bill

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HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) – The Pennsylvania House has now passed a bill that would expand the right to use lethal force in self-defense. The Senate has passed an identical bill, but the measure won’t be heading to the governor’s desk.

The bill passed by the house on Tuesday has identical language to a bill passed by the Senate, but it’s technically a different bill, so it won’t be sent to the governor’s desk.

As to why the house didn’t simply pass the Senate bill, Republican Scott Perry – sponsor of the House measure – says the legislation dealing with expanding the so-called “Castle Doctrine” originated in the House and that many people who worked on the legislation are familiar with it in that context.

“Including the DA’s association, who we worked very closely with in crafting the current legislation to get it to where it is,” Perry says. “It’s not really pride of authorship, but there’s a lot of people that, out across Pennsylvania it’s known as the Castle Doctrine as House Bill 40. It’s not known as some Senate bill.”

Among the changes urged by DA’s is a provision that requires that when outside the home, a would-be attacker has to be showing a weapon before deadly force can be used.

Reported by Tony Romeo, KYW Newsradio

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  • John Costanzo

    Harrisburg is following Washington,do nothing, just talk and move around with never an end result. Somebody just submit the damn Bill, forget the name or the credit. It is RESULTS that the thinking people of our country want

  • stephanie

    what’s more important then your life and that of your loved ones. obviously you were umaware that if you were outside your home, it was not legal for you to physically defend yourself. now it is. be thankful that people are looking out for your freedoms.

    • Brandon

      You were always free to defend yourself, but you had the duty to retreat, i.e., if you could get out of the situation without resorting to lethal force, it was your obligation to do so. Please don’t enter the public debate if you don’t have a basic understanding of the issue in the first place.

  • Guess Who

    Is there a doctorine the house?

    • Terry Harner

      WHAT A BUNCH OF CHILDREN WE HAVE TO PAY BIG BUCKS FOR THIS TYPE OF B.S. DO WE NOT HAVE MORE IMPORTANT THINKS TO DO .?

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